Thesis

Host plant effect on pest immunity:
influence of grapevine on ability of European grapevine moth to defend against bio-aggressors.

Key words

Tritrophic interactions, immune system, host plant, European grapevine moth, natural enemies.

Abstract

In tritrophic interactions between a host plant, its herbivores and their natural enemies (parasitoids, predators …), each trophic level is highly dependent on others. In the case of bottom-up regulation, the host plant may strongly affect the fitness of herbivores such as development time or fecundity of adults.  In return, these variations can have major impacts on natural enemies that grow at the expense of these herbivores. When a natural enemy as microorganism, nematode or parasitoid, attack the herbivore, the immune system is its main defense. Effect of host plant quality on immune system of herbivores is very poorly studied and few works make really the link between immunity of herbivore and its impact on tri-trophic interactions.

This project aims to determine the influence of host plant on immunity of the different developmental stages (eggs, larvae, pupae) of pests and its effects on tritrophic relationships involving the grapevine, its pests and natural enemies.